I don’t know exactly how many classes he finished but less than my mother anyway, who graduated high school.
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Displaying 28441 - 28470 of 50826 results
Jeni Blumenfeld
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My father did not have a lot of schooling, I think he only went to primary school. I don’t know exactly how many classes he finished but less than my mother anyway, who graduated high school.
Estera had a brother, but I don’t know what was wrong with that boy, he suffered from depressions and he was committed to an asylum. He died there. His parent did not treat him very well.
My father’s other sister was Berta; she was married to the other shareholder of the store, Adolf Moscovici. So my father, his brother Jean Segal, and Adolf Moscovici were co-owners of the store. But oh, did that brother-in-law of my father cheat us.
He guarded the store’s money because my grandmother wanted him to do so. So he kept the Napoleons. They were gold Napoleons and he safe kept the coins. And in those years after the Second World War, there was a huge inflation; today you would sell one coin for 2 million, tomorrow for four.
And when my father went to Adolf and asked for the money because he had a daughter whom he wanted to continue her studies, he told him that he had sold a coin for 3 million. And the next day he sold one for 7 million. Adolf betrayed my father and uncle Jean.
He guarded the store’s money because my grandmother wanted him to do so. So he kept the Napoleons. They were gold Napoleons and he safe kept the coins. And in those years after the Second World War, there was a huge inflation; today you would sell one coin for 2 million, tomorrow for four.
And when my father went to Adolf and asked for the money because he had a daughter whom he wanted to continue her studies, he told him that he had sold a coin for 3 million. And the next day he sold one for 7 million. Adolf betrayed my father and uncle Jean.
And ah well, we were in communism, Ceausescu was ruling and if you had relatives in America – in the country of your enemies – how could you continue working at Casa Scanteii [3]? They fired him. And he, out of anger, had a heart attack. This happened during the last years before the Revolution [4], I think in 1988. They took revenge; they did not want us to have any connections to the West.
,
After WW2
See text in interview
He was married to Geta, they had two children, Andy and Ina, who first went to Israel and from Israel went to the United States.
,
After WW2
See text in interview
The boys were well educated; they graduated from university. Henry, the older one, became a doctor and died in the end in Israel. Silviu changed his surname to Costin – Silvian Costin- and appeared as an author in communist books. He was a historian and during communism he was a chief editor at the history desk of Casa Scanteii
[Ed. note: The newspaper Scanteia, an organ of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, was legally published since 1944].
[Ed. note: The newspaper Scanteia, an organ of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, was legally published since 1944].
Her husband, Jean Chelner, was some kind of accountant at Petrol in Ploiesti.
Romania
After the Second World War, in 1945-46, my uncle, his wife and their son left for Venezuela where they had some relatives. Charley lives in Caracas, we lost touch. He is divorced and has two daughters in California, in Miami.
My father had two brothers and two sisters. One of his brothers was Bernard Segal. He was a merchant and owned a small-ware shop on Lipscani Street in Bucharest.
Romania
My father’s cousin lived in Braila. Her father was my grandfather’s brother. Her name was Shely and I think her husband’s name was Liviu. Their surname was Solomon. They married in 1935.
But we did not really stay in touch because we were not a very close family. War came and we all stayed in our own caves. They did not have children, they lived in Braila and I think they left for Israel after the Second World War.
But we did not really stay in touch because we were not a very close family. War came and we all stayed in our own caves. They did not have children, they lived in Braila and I think they left for Israel after the Second World War.
After my grandparents died, my mother, father and my sister (whom we lost) lived in the house.
In 1948 a decree of nationalization was issued, when the big factories were taken and our house was nationalized as well [2].
After 1990 I filled in some documents but I did not get the propriety back. They won’t give it back to me because I do not have the document of ownership, I don’t even know when my grandfather bought it. And there is nobody alive from that period. But ah well, I have enough.
In 1948 a decree of nationalization was issued, when the big factories were taken and our house was nationalized as well [2].
After 1990 I filled in some documents but I did not get the propriety back. They won’t give it back to me because I do not have the document of ownership, I don’t even know when my grandfather bought it. And there is nobody alive from that period. But ah well, I have enough.
When I grew up I knew the fabric store but my grandfather was old by now, so his sons had taken his place. The shop was in the old centre of Botosani, opposite to the Christian Orthodox Church Uspenia in which Eminescu was baptized [1] [Ed. note: The Christian Orthodox Church in Botosani was founded 1552 by Lady Elena Rares].
My grandparents’ house with its balcony and the shop at the ground level still exists. I did not know these grandparents too well, they died in 1945 and I was young.
My grandparents’ house with its balcony and the shop at the ground level still exists. I did not know these grandparents too well, they died in 1945 and I was young.
Romania
My paternal grandfather’s name was Strub Leib Segal, he owned a glass factory in a little town, in Lespezi [Lespezi, community in the district of Iasi, is at a distance of 62 km south from Botosani]. According to the communists, I am of bourgeois origins. I was a member of the Communist Party but they kicked me out for that reason.
He co-owned the factory with two other people. But this was all when my grandfather was young. Afterwards, my father’s parents lived in Botosani where my grandfather owned a fabric store. I don’t know what happened to the factory in Lespezi, only the dead know.
He co-owned the factory with two other people. But this was all when my grandfather was young. Afterwards, my father’s parents lived in Botosani where my grandfather owned a fabric store. I don’t know what happened to the factory in Lespezi, only the dead know.
My paternal grandfather’s name was Strub Leib Segal, he owned a glass factory in a little town, in Lespezi [Lespezi, community in the district of Iasi, is at a distance of 62 km south from Botosani]. According to the communists, I am of bourgeois origins. I was a member of the Communist Party but they kicked me out for that reason.
I was in the third grade of the high school in 1940, when they kicked us Jews out of the schools [6]. They did not only kick the Jews out of schools; lawyers were banned from the Bar, doctors weren’t allowed to profess their skills, pharmacists weren’t allowed to be in pharmacies.
After the four years at primary school, high school with the classes one to eight followed. That was the educational system at that time and at that time studies would still be taken seriously. I was a good student – if I may boast a little about myself.
After the four years at primary school at a Romanian school, I went three years to a Romanian high school.
After the four years at primary school at a Romanian school, I went three years to a Romanian high school.
I learnt Hebrew and the history of the Jews at the Jewish high school with a professor, Lorlich, he taught at the Jewish High School during those war years.
I never went to the cheder, neither did I go to private Hebrew studies.
I can speak Yiddish as well because it is similar to German. I studied German for three years at school.
My parents spoke Romanian and Yiddish with each other – all the Jews in East Europe spoke Yiddish.
Romania
We had a bath at home; we had a bathtub in the house in which we lived.
To be more exact, my uncle Jean Segal had an apartment with a bathtub. He had a nicer apartment and every once in a while I would take a bath there. We were neighbors. The bath was in a separate room, with a tub, wash-hand basin and a toilet. They had a kind of long oven, heated by wood, which would warm the water.
To be more exact, my uncle Jean Segal had an apartment with a bathtub. He had a nicer apartment and every once in a while I would take a bath there. We were neighbors. The bath was in a separate room, with a tub, wash-hand basin and a toilet. They had a kind of long oven, heated by wood, which would warm the water.
There was a ritual bath in Botosani, but I did not go to the ritual bath, I never even entered it. We weren’t that religious. I don’t know who used to go there because my mother wouldn’t go either.
Eight candles were lit for Hanukkah and put in front of the window. We did not have a Hanukkiah, my father would put the candles in a block of wood,; there was one candle [shamesh] which was used to light the all the other candles. Every evening the children would light an additional candle.
This is also a holiday on which we celebrate that we were not extinguished as a nation [Editor’ note: Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday, which also commemorates the Macabbees’ uprising and the re-consecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar.
This is also a holiday on which we celebrate that we were not extinguished as a nation [Editor’ note: Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday, which also commemorates the Macabbees’ uprising and the re-consecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar.
I did not dress up for Purim. For when I was a child, I lived during those hard time, it was war, we wore the yellow star we did not think about dressing up [5], My mother would make those pastries with the three corners, filled with nut, Hamatashen, they were very tasty – you can make them as well with bee honey.
There is also the story with Estera Meghila, which is read at the synagogue and when the name of Haman is mentioned, a gragger is used and you have to make noise [symbolic] because we curse Haman. All those who wanted to kill the Jews had a name starting with H: Haman, Hitler, Hussein, Hamas, and Hezbollah – I wonder if this is a coincidence?
There is also the story with Estera Meghila, which is read at the synagogue and when the name of Haman is mentioned, a gragger is used and you have to make noise [symbolic] because we curse Haman. All those who wanted to kill the Jews had a name starting with H: Haman, Hitler, Hussein, Hamas, and Hezbollah – I wonder if this is a coincidence?
Unfortunately my sister died at the age of 37 [in 1973], she had vertebral cancer. Her destiny was tragic. And she was so beautiful ... I wasn’t ugly either but my sister was really gorgeous. And she died young. My only sister… I still mourn deeply.
But my mother did not have a job and she left in 1953 with my 17-year old sister. And my sister married a young man from a Kibbutz there, she stayed in the Kibbutz and my mother stayed with them – Kibbutz Bar-Am at the boarder with Lebanon, close to the city of Naharia. My mother suffered in Israel, she couldn’t adapt and died at the age of 58-59 [in 1958-59].
I did not submit any acts to leave for Israel, they would have fired me from work and I couldn’t afford that.
,
After WW2
See text in interview
The Stalinist period was a very difficult one; Jews weren’t allowed to leave the country during that time. It was a very difficult era, the dictatorship was horrible, and you wouldn’t hear a thing about Western Europe. After Stalin’s death, things got a bit better. When Stalin died, everybody breathed easier, it was a great relief.
I started working in 1949 and I was a teacher until 1985, I think. In the first years I taught chemistry and history, I couldn’t teach French until Stalin died. I went to middle school, grades 5, 6,7. Fortunately Stalin died in 1953 and things got a little bit better. Until then we weren’t allowed to talk about France or England. Stalin’s death was a moment of great joy for us. I taught French at the Pedagogic High School but in the last 15 years I taught at the Economic High School Bucovina.
,
After WW2
See text in interview